The Call Of Jeremiah

The Call of Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:4-10

We will take a look this morning at the call of the prophet Jeremiah who served in one of the most painful times of the history of Jerusalem and Judah. He got to see the backsliding of the nation from the reforms King Josiah had put in place to the seige of Jerusalem to the burning of the city where the survivors were for the most part taken to Babylon in exile. Jeremiah also wrote the Book of Lamentations about this awful experience. Although the book is painful to read, it has much to warn us of the dangers of apostacy from the LORD. So let us open out Bibles to the Book of Jeremiah, Chapter one. We will begin with verse 4.

The prophecy of Jeremiah begins very abruptly. Verses one thought three were added by a later editor, possibly Baruch, to provide us some introductory information about Jeremiah. But for Jeremiah, it begins with: “Then the word of Yahweh came unto me.” Jeremiah we still young when this call came out of the blue. He was from a priestly family. So he might have been taught some of the rudiments of the Hebrew faith including the duties of the priests to which he was called by birthright. The priests were called as a class of people from Israel to attend to the altar and sacrifices of the people before the LORD. Priests interceded for the people before the LORD and provided the means of atonement for sin as well as to offer other sacrifices such as peace offerings. But this call which Jeremiah was personal. He was not called to serve the altar as a priest but to warn and intercede for the people as a prophet.

The LORD continues by telling Jeremiah had been set apart (sanctified) for this purpose while he was still in his mother’s womb for the purpose of being a prophet to the nations. This is interesting because one would think that it might have said that he was called to be a prophet to Judah and Jerusalem. But the LORD gave a wider perspective. The prophecy was not just for the benefit of Judah alone but also for and against the Gentiles. We also see here a clear indication of predestination which has caused considerable disagreement in the church. Jeremiah did not have the opportunity to exercise his “free will.” He tried to protest the call as do many who have felt the call to ministry. But he was called to be a prophet, and a prophet he would be. Considering how difficult Jeremiah’s ministry would be, it would have been hard for someone who was informed of the implications of this decision would decide to follow through with the ministry.

The LORD goes on to encourage the young prophet. He tells Jeremiah that his being a youth is unimportant. He was to go to all that the LORD sent him anyway. This included the leadership of Judah including the kings who would not at all be happy to see Jeremiah or hear the words he brought. This is because Jeremiah was spouting his own opinions of the times and giving some sort of political advice on how to deal with the dangers which the nation faced. He wasn’t called to tell them everything was OK, and that the LORD was on their side, no matter how wickedly they acted. Instead he would speak the words that the LORD Himself would put in the mouth of Jeremiah which he symbolized by touching his mouth. This seems to indicate that the LORD appeared to Jeremiah visibly in human form or what is called by the theologians, a “Theophany.”

Jeremiah was appointed over the nations first to root out, to pull down, to destroy, and to thrown down. So much of Jeremiah’s ministry was to be negative in nature. As he prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem because of the apostacy of the nation, this message would not be popular. He also prophesied about the judgment of the nations around Judah as well. He was prophesying catastrophe. But we should also not that he would later build and plant. There would be restoration for Judah after seventy years of captivity. The catastrophe would indeed be great, but in the end, a better Israel would emerge. So for all the very negative prophecies in the book, one must keep the idea of restoration in mind which would come after the punishment of the nations.

Why should we study the Book of Jeremiah today? What can we learn? Most importantly is that our times are not all that much different today here in America. Although Israel and Judah were especially called by the LORD to be His chosen people, America until recently has prided itself in being a “Christian Nation.” Those who would call themselves such are responsible to conduct themselves appropriately. The history of the United States had been far from perfect, just as the history of Israel and Judah were. But at least there was some effort to adhere to Christian ethics and principles. there have been periods of revival which have served to renew the commitment of the people to the Lord. But these days seem far behind us today. The nation has a whole committed gross apostacy. It is anti-Christian principles which are now being promoted instead. This cannot but end in judgment and disaster. It would have been better if America had never embraced Christian principles than to have embraced them and then deserted. At least the judgment would have been less severe as those nations which never knew the Lord are to be judged also. What I say here is true also of other nations which have considered themselves part of Christendom.